Herbicidal composition



ht ented Oct. 194s JUNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,450.54:nannlomnnoomr'osrr'lon Albert L. Flenner, Wilmington, per, magnolit E.I. du Pont deNemom-s & Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation ofDelaware N Drawing. Application March 22., 1945,

Serial No. 584,251

tical lethal concentration for many plants at least is greater than itssolubility in water. "It is an object of this invention, therefore, toprovide compositions which avoid the disadvantages of the prior art andare easily and effectively utilizable for the control or destruction ofobjectionable plants or objectionable plant foliage and to obtainadvantages as will appear hereinafter.

These objects are accomplished in the present invention by compositionsconsisting predominantly of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, a'disparsingagent, and mutual solvent therefor. with these comprsitions it is asimple matter to obtain aqueous dispersions or emulsions contain: ing2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in the dis-- persed phase which areeasily applicable to foliage in the usual spnay equipment used inapplying insecticides and fungicides.

The invention may be more fully understood by reference to the followingexamples, in which the parts are by weight unless otherwise specified.

N,N-diethyicyclohexylammonium Lorol sol;-

fate 2 1 Solvesso #1 is a commercial solvent obtained by hydrogenatingnapgtha. 1 The term. rol refers to a mixture of alkyl radicals obtainedby hydrogenatlng coconut oil and consists princiv pally of N-dodecylwith minor amounts of other alkyl radicals ranging from 0-8 to C-14.

This composition forms a finely divided emulsion when added to waterwith stirring. It is a true emulsion with the solution of2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in the mixed solvent (cyclohexanone andSolvesso #1) as the dispersed phase. It is of particular value as aherbicide in view of the high concentration of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyaceticacid obtainable in the dispersed phase. The two solvents mutuallycooperate to give unusually high cost efliciency for concentratedsolutions of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (in the order of The amountof hydrogenated naphtha is in excess of its amount of cyclohexanone(about Ito 3 parts to 1).

3 Glaims. (CL 167-45) 2 The composition is 01. advantage in that itprovides an effective contact media for bringing the2,4-didhlorophenoxyacetic acid into contact with the foliage of theplant and from which it 5 is readily absorbed into the plant tissue.

Ezamplc H r 7 Percent 2,4-dichloropIhenoxyacetic acid l0 tone alcohol 88m N,N-diethylcyclohexylammonium Lorol" sulrate example illustrates how awater-miscible or water-soluble solvent may be utilized in forming acolloidal dispersion of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyform and dispersed by thedispersing agent, N,N-

diebhylcyclohexylammonium Lorol sulfate. A very stable dispersionsuitable for applying ZA-di chlorophenoxyacetic acid to foliage isobtained.

Example Hi Percent 2,4'-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid 10 Machine alcohol 85Oarbowax 1500 5 This com-position forms a colloidal dispersion similarto that obtainable with the composition of Example III and may be usedwhen a less stable dispersion is desired.

In place of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in 5 the above examples theremay be substituted other active plant regulanrt herbicides, such as 2-or 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4,5-triehlorophenoxyacetic acid.

' In place of the mixed solvent in Example I and 0 diacetone alcohol inExamples II and IE there may be substituted other water-insoluble andwatar-miscible or water-soluble solvents such as cyclohexanone,methanol, ethanol, toluene and xylene. In place ofN,N-diethylcyclohexylammonium Lorol sulfate and Carbowax' 1500 there maybe substituted other dispersing agents soluble in the solvent, as, forexample, lau-rylpyridinium oleate, piperidine oleate, rtriethanolamineoleate and condensation products of ethylene oxide and fatty acids.

The proportions may be varied but in order that full advantage of theinvention may be obtained it is desirable to use from 5 to 25% of2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2 to 10% dispersin: agent; and thebalance mutual solvent.

sulfate, and the balance substantially all composed 01' a mixture orcyclohexanone and hydrosenated naphtha.

2. A composition of matter, useful as a plant rezulant herbicide,consisting predominantly of 5 to 25% of 2- 4-dichlorophenolwacetic acid,2 to 10% of N,N-=diethylcyclohexylammonilun "LoroP imitate, and thebalance substantially all composed of a. mixture of cyclohexanone andhydrogenated naphtha. in the proportions of 1 to 3 parts of hydrogenatednaphtha for each part of cyclohexanone.

8. A composition of matter, rezulant herbicide, co p 5 to 25 parts byweight of 2,4-didhlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2 to 10 pants by weight of a,dispersinc agent, and the balance a mutual solvent for the2,4-dichlorophenoxyaoetic acid and the dispersing agent consisting of a.mixture of cyclohexanone and hydrogenated naphtha.

. ALBERT L. FLENNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,007,433 Mel-hue July 9, 19352,160,929 Werner et a1. June 6, 1939 2,198,734 Carswell Jen 30, 19402,277,744 Cupery et a1 Mer. 31, 1942 2,390,941

Jones Dec. 11, 1945

